Lavrov: US Veto of UNSC Resolution to Condemn Damascus Blasts Indicates Double Standards
nsnbc
February 23, 2013
Christof Lehmann (nsnbc) – After talks with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechim the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergei Lavrov, stated, that the US veto of a resolution to condemn Thursday´s terrorist attacks in Damascus at, the UN Seceurity Councel, stresses US double standards when dealing with terrorism.
In statements to the press, Lavrov voiced the Russian governments frustration over the fact that the UNSC standards, that all nations, without exclusion, would condemn terrorism, regardless of the perpetrator, place or motives, was no longer upheld. Lavrov stated, “Russia sees in the American position the use of double standards and a dangerous approach in terms of the Americans moving away from the main principle of condemning terrorism in all its forms”.
Lavrov called on all parties to be guided by the Geneva Statement from 30 June 2012, and stressed, that Russia and China call for respecting provisions of the Charter of the UN to prevent military intervention and the use of force as a means to solve the crisis in Syria, as well as with regard to Iran and Afghanistan.
China´s Minister of Foreign Affairs Yang Jiechim stated, that China condemns the terrorist attacks without any reservations, and Beijing supports an unbiased approach toward the crisis in Syria.
Foreign Minister Lavrov´s condemnation of the US veto underlines a previous statement, in which he explicitly held the USA accountable for acts of terrorism in Syria, because even if the USA officially proclaims that it no longer will support armed insurgents, it still fails to use the influence it has over its allies, including Qatar and Saudi Arabia, who do support the armed insurgency.
International lawyers and analysts are warning of a rapid deterioration of international law at its very foundation since the onset of the war on terror in 2001. In a 2012 article by Black, Fetzer, Mezyaev and Lehmann, the authors warn about the gravest possible consequences this explosion of international law at its foundations has for international, national and individual security.
The Russian and Chinese unequivocal condemnation of the terrorist attacks and the US-American veto could however, signal that this abuse of international law and international institutions by the USA and NATO is increasingly met by a more assertive Russian and Chinese opposition.
CL/nsnbc
Related articles:
Massive Blast Near Baath Party Headquarters kills Scores, FSA threatens Hezbollah.
The US/UN/NATO Race for Global Full Spectrum Dominance. (1/4)
Peace Prize from UNESCO for French PM Hollande for War Crimes in Mali?
by Jason Liosatos
21st Century Wire
February 23, 2013
As France’s Prime Minister Hollande leads the charge in Africa from the safety of his desk, with his military killing, terrifying and displacing Africans, he is to receive a peace prize from UNESCO? To say this was absurd and outright insanity would be putting it mildly.
It seems obvious that the French military charge into Africa is simply to secure the uranium rich mines there in Mali and Niger, some of which are already controlled by Areva, France’s nuclear energy giant, who have a strong foothold on the strategically important mines and assets. Add to this that France is highly dependent on uranium for its countries power supply and we begin to get a whiff of what is going on, that it is no coincidence or conspiracy theory that France has grabbed the chance to secure the region.
There is a mad scramble to hijack Africa and its mineral rich land by China and the US, so this opportunity to create the usual Western style gunslinger, cowboy attack could not be resisted by Obama, Hollande and Cameron to snatch the Gold reserves. With the Fiat paper money collapsing faster than the twin towers it is imperative that Africa is secured for its bountiful supply of gold, and the usual excuse of a terrorist threat was employed, when in truth the greatest terrorist threat worldwide is the US, Israeli and Western megalomaniac governments, who will do virtually anything to satisfy their insatiable lust for power and control.
So as Prime French Prime Minister Hollande, Obama and Cameron bomb and bully their way into the black mans land again, to rob and pillage under the guise of liberators and bringers of democracy, we see the black people with very little, and hoping for a little more, yelling Viva La France as the French troops and military hardware roll by as they clap and cheer, though little do they know that they could very well be the IMF’s next unsuspecting victims, who may soon be taking out loans and mortgages, in a more sophisticated re enslavement of black Africans by the unscrupulous West, as they empty their gold and uranium mines from under their noses.
If this all seems like cynicism let us take a close look first and see the facts and realize there is a great difference between cynicism and reality.
Author Jason Liosatos is a writer and peace advocate based in the UK, and host of Global Peace Radio Show.
Washington Backs Syrian Anti-Government Terrorism
by Stephen Lendman
Global Research
February 23, 2013
Make no mistake. Syria is Washington’s war. It was planned years ago. Regime change is policy. At issue is replacing Assad’s government with a pro-Western puppet one.
Washington tolerates no independent governments. It demands subservience to US policies. Outliers are targeted for removal. Options include war.
Mass slaughter and destruction don’t matter. Unchallenged dominance is policy. It’s longstanding, ruthless and lawless.
Western-recruited death squads ravage Syria. They’ve done so for two years. They’re imported from abroad. Rules of engagement include mass murder, torture, and other atrocities.
Pro-Assad loyalists are prime targets. Innocent civilians are massacred. Doing so is official US policy. Imperial wars are called liberating ones. Terrorism is what they do, not us.
Syria was peaceful before US proxies invaded. So was Libya in 2011. It was ravaged and destroyed. It remains unstable and violent. Libya 2.0 looms.
Syria may become NATO’s latest charnel house. It’s well along the way already. Countries are ravaged on the pretext of liberating them. Empires never say they’re sorry. Policy isn’t pretty. It’s violent and lawless.
It reflects state terrorism. It proliferates death and destruction. It prioritizes wealth, power, privilege and dominance. Direct and proxy wars are waged.
Cutthroat killers are used. They’re recruited abroad. They’re heavily armed, trained, funded and directed. They’re ordered to commit mass murder. Obama bears full responsibility. He’s a war criminal multiple times over.
On February 22, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) headlined “Fifty-Three Civilians Martyred, 235 Others Injured so far in Terrorist Bombing in al-Thawra Street in Damascus.”
Attacks struck central Damascus’ Mazraa neighborhood. Health Minister, Dr. Saad al-Nayef, said “terrorist bombing reflects the criminal nature of its perpetrators.”
Innocent men, women, children, the elderly and infirm were massacred. Syria continues to be ravaged and destabilized.
Al-Hayat Hospital and Abdullah Bin al-Zubir school were heavily damaged. So was Russia’s embassy. Itar Tass quoted a diplomat saying “The building has really been damaged. The windows are shattered.”
Other car bombs struck Damascus’ Barzeh neighborhood. A police station, telecommunications facility, and drug enforcement agency were targeted.
Mortar fire hit Syria’s Army General staff headquarters, Tishreen Sports City and residential buildings. Authorities said a car loaded with tons of explosives was stopped before it exploded.
Perhaps the terrorist group Jabhat al-Nusra was involved. It’s become Washington’s lead belligerent. It vows to “liberate” Damascus. It claims responsibility for 17 or more February Damascus area terrorist attacks. They included at least seven bombings.
Syrian communities abroad, Russia, China, Iran and Hezbollah condemned Thursday’s bombings.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said:
“Once again, we call upon all countries and parties, which might influence the extremists and radicals, to pressure them and demand immediate stop of such terrorist acts and armed violence in order to create appropriate atmosphere to hold a Syrian dialogue that is based on Geneva statement issued last June, 2010.”
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon showed which side he supports. He’s an imperial tool. He shames the office he holds. He violates UN Charter provisions. He urged both sides to show restraint. He called for ending Syria’s crisis politically.
Syria’s Foreign and Expatriates Ministry addressed two identical letters to the Security Council president and Ban. They condemned Thursday’s bombings. They called them cowardly acts.
They targeted crowded civilian areas. They followed previous ones conducted by Al Qaeda linked groups. They get “financial and logistic support and media and political coverage from regional and (Western) countries.”
SANA said:
“The Ministry added that the credibility of combating terrorism which has always been a matter of concern for the international community is now under unprecedented test as the most disgusting form of terrorism hit the Syrian civilians with no mercy or differentiating between an elderly man or a child.”
“The letters added that Syria, in its previous letters to the UN Security Council and the UN Secretary General, called for firm and clear condemnation of these heinous terrorist crimes by the UN member states and for holding countries which support such acts as responsible, whatsoever the form of such support was.”
“The Ministry said that Syria hopes the UN Security Council now will be able to adopt a firm stance which proves its commitment to combating terrorism regardless of its timing or place.”
If the Security Council turns a blind eye, “it will deepen doubts in its seriousness in combating terrorism and its commitment to implementing its resolutions in this regard, in addition to the fact this will be considered as a kind of political concealment of these crimes.”
The international community’s credibility “is at test,” it added. Failure to condemn this type terrorism is morally unconscionable.
It provides evidence of Western double standard duplicity. It reflects support for “organized terrorism.” Doing so won’t deter government forces from defending its citizens. Assad is committed to do so.
On February 21, Washington vetoed a Russian draft statement. It condemned Wednesday’s terrorist attacks. Moscow denounced US policy. It reflects support for what demands condemnation.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov left no doubt where Russia stands, saying:
“This opposition by our American partners….is not the first time in which they seek a form that justifies those who fight the Syrian regime.”
“Russia sees in the American position an application of double standards and a dangerous approach in terms of the Americans moving away from the main principle of condemning terrorism in all its forms.”
Russia’s UN mission issued a statement saying:
“It is obvious that by doing so, the US delegation encourages those who have been repeatedly targeting American interests, including US diplomatic missions.”
It’s not the first time Washington obstructed responsible policy, it added. Moscow called doing so unacceptable. It reflects support for mass murder. It’s official US policy.
It threatens Lebanon. Free Syrian Army General Selim Idriss accused Hezbollah of shelling villages around Qusayr in Homs Governorate.
He issued an ultimatum. He threatened to respond if attacks don’t stop in 48 hours. He accused Hezbollah of sending combatants to Syria.
“As soon as the ultimatum ends,” he added, “we will start responding to the sources of fire.”
Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah categorically denies sending fighters to Syria. At the same time, he said party members may be acting individually. He added that around 30,000 Shitte Lebanese inhabit 22 Syrian villages. Volunteers defend them against terrorist attacks.
On February 21, Lebanon’s Daily Star headlined “FSA claim of strikes on Lebanon false.”
An FSA statement claimed otherwise. It said one of its battalions targeted two Hezbollah bases. It struck with mortars, “machine guns and anti-tank missiles.” It did so near the Syrian/Lebanon border. It vowed more “surprises” ahead.
Longstanding Washington/Israeli policy prioritizes destabilizing Lebanon. At issue is replacing Hezbollah with pro-Western puppets, toppling Assad, isolating Iran, and solidifying US regional control.
Lebanon is small and vulnerable. From 1975 – 1989, it was wracked by internal conflict. From 1982 – 2000, Israel occupied southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah arose out of Israel’s 1982 invasion. It’s falsely called a terrorist organization. It’s for political reasons. It’s part of Lebanon’s government. It’s also a social, charitable, educational, and medical organization.
It provides essential social services. It’s military wing is defensive. It threatens no one. It’s prepared to respond forcefully if attacked. Israel learned the hard way in 2006. Its forces were outfoxed and humiliated. Israel yearns for revenge.
Involving Lebanon in Syria’s war may be planned. Obama and Netanyahu may have that in mind.
On February 21, Mossad-connected DEBKAfile (DF) headlined “Hizbollah on high alert, jockeys for a role in potential Syrian peace accord,” saying:
Its forces went on alert after the FSA’s ultimatum expired. Will its Beqaa Valley serve Assad, DF asked? Will its forces get involved? Are ceasefire talks credible?
According to DF, Assad’s military largely controls most of Syria. Ties to Hezbollah and Iran are firm. Each ally helps the others.
At the same time, FSA fighters may escalate conflict. They may conduct cross-border attacks. They’re no match for Hezbollah’s “far more organized and professional capabilities.”
“If they decide to go on the offensive, they are liable to suffer heavy losses.” Of greater concern is widening Syria’s conflict.
Israel’s currently involved. Last fall, IDF tanks shelled Syrian mortar batteries. Washington OK’d Israeli air strikes. Several targets were struck.
Israeli warplanes invade Lebanese airspace multiple times daily. They do so without permission. Policy is longstanding. It violates international law. Perhaps escalated conflict is planned.
It shouldn’t surprise. Washington and Israel partner in imperial lawlessness. Syria, Hezbollah, Hamas, and Iran are prime targets. Regional conflict may follow. What’s possible bears watching. Future updates will discuss more.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
His new book is titled “Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity.”
http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.
http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour
http://www.dailycensored.com/washington-backs-syrian-anti-goverment-terrorism/
Related content:
-
Syrian government expels Western ambassadors
The Syrian Foreign Ministry has said in a statement that Damascus expelled the ambassadors of the US, Britain, France, Turkey and some other states. Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi announced the list of expelled diplomats on Tuesday. The expulsions came after…
-
Bush administration endorses anti-Palestinian, anti-Syrian offensive in Lebanon
The Lebanese government of Fuad Siniora is threatening to send the army into the Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr el Bared to crush the terrorist Fatah al Islam group. Such a move threatens a loss of innocent civilian lives that…
-
Terrorist Stronghold Destroyed: Syrian government troops chasing armed extremists in the suburbs of Damascus
Terrorist strongholds were destroyed and dozens of mercenaries were killed and wounded during an operation in the Daraya, Diyabiya and Babilla neighborhoods, the Syrian television reports. Fierce clashes continue in the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp near Damascus following an attack…
-
After veto of UN war resolution: Washington steps up drive to overthrow Syrian regime
Following its failure to ram through a resolution against Syria at the United Nations Security Council last week, the administration of Barack Obama has intensified its preparations to gather a “coalition of the willing” to oust the government of Syria…
Cyber Warfare: US & Chinese Gov Use Hackers To Attack Digital Infrastructure [video included]
by Susanne Posel
Occupy Corporatism
February 6, 2013
According to intelligence expert David Wise, China and the US have been engaged in a cyber-espionage war behind closed doors. The Chinese government, Wise explains, will send spies to targeted locations to syphon data by the way of hackers and surveillance; whereas the US government “would target . . . with satellites and produce reams of data.”
Cyber warfare goes beyond surveillance of emails and cell phone calls and extends to the possible control over hardware such as missiles, aircraft, and radar systems. Wise states: “One reason is that only about 2 percent of the integrated circuits purchased every year by the military are manufactured in the United States. And even most American chip makers have moved offshore, where labor is cheaper. A computer chip made with a hidden, malicious flaw could sabotage a weapons system. And the compromised hardware is almost impossible to detect.”
Wise maintains that there is a possibility that a chip could be embedded with a kill-switch that would allow a foreign government to control the deployment of a weapon remotely. He states that the Israeli government already has this capability and has used it against Syrian air defenses in 2007.
James Woosley, acting director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), told Wise: “Taking down the grid for months comes as close to a nuclear attack with many weapons on the United States as anything could. You’d have mass starvation and death from thirst and all the rest.”
Last month the Council on Foreign Relations claimed that hackers traced to China attacked their system last week. The “drive-by” hacking utilized a pirated computer. To compound the problem, the analysts said that the hackers removed their malware and traces of their presence from CFR computer systems.
Recognizing China as becoming a formidable replacement to the US as the world’s super power, the CFR has outlined specific responses to this crisis of supremacy. Citing Chinese internet policy, their disdain for freedom of speech in social media, and influence in global cyberspace, the CFR appreciates that this rising “foe” must be confronted indirectly with propaganda to distract from the obvious.
This attack marked a new level of attack by international hackers who aim to steal information from government websites and computers. The “drive-by” tactic covertly plants malware, then the website itself is used to attack visitors to the site. Visitors can be infected as hackers will them attempt to hack into other computers as visitors are passing by. The hackers use the main site as a “watering hole” that attacks users to it for the hackers to steal information from their computers.
Analysts recognized that the attack was to gain specific information from servers. As of now, the CFR cannot gage the extent of the damage – admitting that their internal data servers have been compromised by the hacking.
According to an anonymous White House official that spoke to mainstream media, yet acknowledged that they were not authorized to speak about the subject, referred to an attempt to hack into the executive branch’s computer system through an unclassified network. No data were removed, proving that this was not an actual hack. The nameless official said that the experiment was a “spear-phishing”.
The supposition is that China is behind these attacks because of a phishing expedition against Gmail accounts wherein several senior US government officials and military personnel were affected.
The US House Intelligence Committee (USHIC) is warning American corporations in a new report against conducting business with 2 Chinese firms because of national security threats. Both Huawei Technologies and ZTE, two of the world’s largest telecommunications corporations and suppliers of cellular phones and technology are being highlighted by the US government and blamed for cyber-attacks. It is also claimed by the USHIC that they are involved in digital espionage.
The White House, covertly tying the alleged cyber-attack to China is more diabolical than it appears. In July, Obama imposed stricter sanctions against Iran after they accepted gold as currency for petrol to China.
According to the report, “China has the means, opportunity, and motive to use telecommunications companies for malicious purposes. . . . The investigation concludes that the risks associated with Huawei’s and ZTE’s provision of equipment to U.S. critical infrastructure could undermine core U.S. national-security interests.”
It is claimed that former industry insiders provided intelligence to the US concerning Huawei’s violations of US laws such as immigration, bribery and corruption as well as an alleged “pattern and practice” using pirated software in its US satellites.
It was cited in the report that the Chinese corporations were employing intelligence sources as well as private sector companies and other unnamed entities that could and assumedly did steal trade secrets, sensitive information and prehistory data while simultaneously shipped infected hard ware and software to the US with the intent to cause disruptions in national security during war time.
The recent allegations of Chinese cyber-attacks stem from their involvement with Iran to purchase petrol using gold as currency and not the US dollar as the global reserve currency.
The Chinese also began trading and bartering with the African nations for resources while Obama sent in troops under cover of AFRICOM during the Kony2012 debacle.
Vice Admiral Robert T. Moeller openly declared AFRICOM’s guiding principle as protecting “the free flow of natural resources from Africa to the global market.”
Moeller also mentioned China’s presence in the region as a “challenge” to American interests. He was referring to the deals China was making with the African nations in exchange and boarder for their resources. Where the US chose to invade a sovereign nation with the intention of stealing their resources, the Chinese used diplomacy; and as Moeller explained, this was a disruption to their scheme.
The movement in the mainstream media to further demonize China at this time is not arbitrary. Considering the plans and schemes of the Zionist regime through their puppet President Obama to involve not only Iran, but also China in their WW III, the claims of cyber-attacks are designed to force support from the populace for the pending death and destruction instigated by our own government.
CCTV: Aquarium explodes in Shanghai shopping mall [video]
Russia Today
December 28, 2012
Sixteen people were injured after a large decorative aquarium installed in an exterior wall of a shopping mall in Shanghai Explosion was blamed on the aging of the aquarium material, a senior official said on Wednesday. The eight-meter-long, five-meter-tall aquarium was made of thick glass. Among the debris spread over the ground, some of the glass pieces were 20 centimeters thick.
RT LIVE http://rt.com/on-air
Subscribe to RT! http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=RussiaToday
Like us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/RTnews
Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/RT_com
Follow us on Google+ http://plus.google.com/+RT
Chinese Hackers Suspected in Cyber Attack on Council on Foreign Relations
Conscious Life News
December 28, 2012
By Bill Gertz | Free Beacon
Computer hackers traced to China carried out an advanced cyberespionage attack against one of America’s most elite foreign policy web groups – the website of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).
According to private computer-security forensic specialists, the hacking incident involved a relatively new type of ploy called a “drive-by” website cyber attack that was detected around 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday.
The specialists, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the attack involved penetrating the computer server that operates the New York City-based CFR’s website and then using the pirated computer system to attack CFR members and others who visited or “drove by” the site.
The activity ended on Thursday and the specialists believe the attackers either removed their malicious software to prevent further details of the attack from being discovered, or CFR was able to isolate the software and remove it.
The FBI was notified of the attack and is said to be investigating.
FBI spokeswoman Jennifer Shearer declined to comment when asked about the attack. But she told the Washington Free Beacon: “The FBI routinely receives information about threats and takes appropriate steps to investigate those threats.”
However, David Mikhail, a Council on Foreign Relations spokesman, confirmed the attack. “The Council on Foreign Relations’ website security team is aware of the issue and is currently investigating the situation,” Mikhail said in an email. “We are also working to mitigate the possibility for future events of this sort.” He provided no details.
West unleashing terrorism against Syria: Mark Glenn [video]
PressTV
December 25, 2012
An analyst says the US and Israel is getting away with what any other country would not, initiating terrorism as a tool to topple a sovereign government.
In the background of this, insurgents in Syria have carried out threats to storm Christian towns in the central province killing several civilians in one village before being chased off by Syrian forces. Insurgents are bolstered by NATO support in the form of the deployment of US Patriot missile systems and troops along the Turkish Syria border. UN Arab League Envoy Lakhdar Ibrahimi is in Syria now to work for a political solution, but the US and its allies seem only interested in a NATO-supported military intervention to achieve an overthrow of the Assad government and the death of many innocent men, women and children.
Press TV has interviewed Mr. Mark Glenn, Crescent and Cross Solidarity Movement, Idaho about this issue.
Follow our Facebook on: http://www.facebook.com/presstvchannel
Follow our Twitter on: http://twitter.com/presstv
Follow our Tumblr on: http://presstvchannel.tumblr.com
PN 